CIVIL servants in Niger State will on Wednesday, February 21, embark on an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to meet their demands.
This was disclosed in a letter dated February 19 and signed by the Nigeria Labour Congress chairman, Idrees Lafene, and the chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Ibrahim Gana.
The letter addressed to Governor Mohammed Bago was made available to newsmen on Tuesday, February 20.
The union noted that it had presented some demands and gave an ultimatum in December 2023 to the state government but the demands were yet to be met.
The letter reads in part, “We are writing in furtherance to our earlier letter of ultimatum Ref no. OL/NS/040/GEN/Vol 4/29 dated 20/12/23 and the deadlock on settlement of issues as a result of negotiations with the Niger State government committee.
“We wish to formally inform the government that effective 8am on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, that Niger State workers shall commence an indefinite strike action until our demands are comprehensively met.
“Meanwhile, we wish to reiterate that our doors are open for negotiation subject to the conveyance of formal invitation, reversal of all appointments in dispute, i.e., executive directors Finance, executive directors Admin and executive directors Operations, chairman, members and permanent commissioners of Local Government Service Commission and Civil Service Commission, directors-generals of some agencies, and a clear statement by the government on payment of wage award.”
The labour union also noted that it would not longer tolerate the idea of appointing permanent secretaries who are not eligible.
It further called on the government to retract the recent appointment of a vice principal on secondment as a permanent secretary.
“We also call on the government to desist from victimising teachers and members from the educational sector as a result of the recent debate by some primary school pupils in Agaie LGA,” the letter added.
The workers’ fresh warning came a few days after the national body of the NLC said it would embark on a two-day nationwide mass protest on February 27 and 28 over the worsening hardship in the country.
The development was also on the heels of the declaration by the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN), stating that it would commence a nationwide strike from February 27 should the Federal government refuse to implement the agreement it entered into with the association in 2020.
The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, on Friday, February 16, announced the protest at the Labour House headquarters during an emergency press conference on Friday, February 16.
Ajaero said the decision to protest was made after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government over hardship across the country.
The ICIR reports that in addition to tackling hardship, the union gave the 14-day ultimatum to pressure the government to honour the 16-point agreement reached with the union on October 2, 2023.
The ICIR reports that there has been an astronomical increase in the prices of goods since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, the day he took over power.
Tinubu’s declaration immediately led to fuel queues as many retailers shut their filling stations, hoarding their stock and creating scarcity with a view to hiking fares later.
THE Federal Government (FG) has threatened a showdown with civil servants leaking official documents.
The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation issued the threat, stating that efforts were being made to prevent the public leakage of classified documents.
This was revealed in a memo from the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, uploaded on her office’s website on Monday, February 19, 2024.
According to the memo, the government finds leaking official documents embarrassing, which is unacceptable.
In the memo tagged HCSF/3065/VI/189, the Office of the Head of Service said the growing leakage of sensitive official documents in ministries, departments and agencies had been observed with dismay.
“As part of the efforts to curb this undesirable development, all permanent secretaries are to fast-track the migration to the digitalised workflow system and ensure effective deployment of the enterprise content management solution.
“This will reduce physical contact with official documents, thereby checking the increasing incidence of leakage and circulation.
“Furthermore, permanent secretaries are advised to warn all staff against leaking and circulating official information and documents,” the memo stated.
The memo emphasised that any officer caught engaging in such an act would be severely dealt with in line with the relevant provisions of the Public Service Rules and other extant laws.
The ICIR reports that the fresh warning could be linked to the recent leakage of a memo from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, which contained the government’s plan to provide N500 million in allowances to members of the federal government’s tripartite committee on minimum wage.
Similarly, a circular allegedly from the office of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, indicating a substantial sum of money to be set aside as a Hajj subsidy, found its way to the public space.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) were enraged by the two memos, and organised labour demanded that the allocations be investigated.
This is not the first time the Federal Government has threatened to sanction civil servants who leak official documents.
The Federal Government, through the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Yemi-Esan, on August 2, 2021, threatened to dismiss officials caught leaking classified documents on social media.
The circular with the theme ‘Unauthorised circulation of official documents/information on social media’ was marked HCSF/3065/Vol.1 /94.
In this report, Abdulrasheed Hammad uncovers the sad reality of Sokoto’s children, who are displaced and endangered by hunger and malnutrition amidst government neglect. The report also highlights the harsh lives of refugees in Wurno and Wamakko IDP camps, displaced by bandits and Boko Haram, and the impact on their livelihoods.
Fear of bullets, not hunger, gnawed at Umar Ali’s stomach. Bandits’ attacks on his village became incessant, forcing him to leave his farm uncultivated. The consequence? Not enough food for him and his wife and not enough milk for their five-month-old son, Abubakar.
Abubakar’s tiny body bore the brunt of this, and soon, he started falling sick. Rushed to the Marnona Health Post in Wurno Local Government Area (LGA), he was diagnosed with severe, acute malnutrition, a silent killer stalking children in the shadow of violence. The local health worker, with limited resources, could only offer a referral to the Sokoto State Specialist Hospital, which is miles away for specialised care.
Umar Ali and his child, Abubakar who just survived from severe acute malnutrition.
For two agonising weeks, Umar clung to hope as Abubakar battled against the ravages of malnutrition before he was eventually discharged. Yet, the fight was not over. Umar painfully acknowledged that his child’s condition was further complicated by his mother’s inability to breastfeed. The mother was unable to breastfeed due to her inability to produce enough milk which was caused by not eating adequate and nutritious food. She is also facing health issues that prevent her from breastfeeding and forcing her to give the baby milk.
“After he was discharged from the hospital, his mother had to start preparing a better diet for him more often using available food such as mixing soya beans with groundnut and millet,” he said.
Across Sokoto state, fear of bandits forces farmers like Umar to abandon their fields, which means that they cannot even cultivate food for their families. In this situation, many children are left vulnerable to malnutrition.
Thirty-five-year-old Fatima Ibrahim knows this pain too well. Displaced by bandits, she and her husband now beg for food in the Wurno Internally Displaced Persons ( IDP) camp.
Image of Fatima Ibrahim, breastfeeding her eight-month-old baby
“In 2021, the bandits chased us (myself, my husband and children) from Masama village in Wurno LGA, and we migrated to the Wurno IDP camp. Since we migrated here, life has been difficult for us because my husband has turned into a beggar. This makes it difficult for him to feed us because he left his farm to run for his life,” Fatima Ibrahim bemoaned.
Two and half-year-old child of Fatima Ibrahim
“With five kids to feed, between 8 months to 10 years old, I’m desperate. For instance, today (time of interview0, my husband left for Wurno town to beg for anything to keep us alive. Right now, we have nothing. Despite my inability to eat a balanced diet, I still must breastfeed my baby. He often cries because there isn’t enough milk flowing from the breasts.”
Amidst dire circumstances, the living conditions of the IDPs remain lamentable. They endure squalor and grapple with contaminated water, which poses a severe threat of waterborne diseases, including cholera, to the camp’s children and pregnant women.
Facing financial constraints, most IDPs resort to seeking healthcare from local chemists and untrained traditional medicine practitioners for ailments like fever, malaria, or diarrhoea, as a visit to formal medical facilities is often beyond their means. The lack of financial resources extends its grip on education, depriving their children of schooling opportunities due to an inability to meet associated costs.
Despite their profound struggles, assistance from government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and health professionals remains elusive for these displaced families. The absence of support compounds their challenges, leaving them in a precarious situation with limited access to essential services and resources.
Contaminated water the residents of IDP camp drink for survival Sordid tales of malnutrition
Amidst the stark realities faced by those displaced in Northwest Nigeria, a recent report by Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) sheds light on the grim prevalence of acute malnutrition. The risk factors, ranging from inadequate food quantity and quality to subpar health-seeking behaviours, highlight the need for urgent intervention. The nexus between malnutrition, poor health services, feeding practices, and overall insecurity further amplifies the vulnerability of populations affected by banditry and displacement.
This disconcerting report not only highlights the precarious conditions of the 575 individuals in this IDP camp, but also serves as a distress signal for the children among them.
Hafsat Labaran with her nine-month-old baby.
In a parallel tale of hardship like Fatima’s family, 25-year-old Hafsatu Labaran and her family share a harrowing journey of displacement triggered by bandit attacks on Masama village in Wurno LGA. With five children to cater for, the youngest a mere nine months old, Hafsatu faces the heart-wrenching reality of sending her other children out to beg for alms. Once a farmer, her husband now toils as a labourer, grappling with the challenge of securing their family’s survival in the aftermath of displacement.
Image of children children living in Wurno IDPImage of children children living in Wurno IDP
“I go into the bush to fetch vegetables and some leaves we use to make garri. I give my baby pap three times a day, and when she is sick, I buy paracetamol. We rarely get any medical help as health workers don’t come here; we go to Wurno Primary Healthcare Centre if it’s serious. Most women also don’t deliver in the hospitals when they are pregnant because of hospital bills.”
Image of child living in Wurno IDP
Rabi Issa, a middle-aged woman in Kasuwar Daji IDP camp, lost her husband to a Boko Haram attack in Faraskawa village, Baga LGA, Borno State in 2017. After being displaced by Boko Haram, she migrated to Dosso in Niger Republic with her nine children before being evacuated by the Nigerian government to Sokoto state. Since arriving at Kasuwar Daji IDPs camp, life has been difficult for her, and her struggles to feed her children with necessary nutrients has resulted in the deaths of them, four-year-old Fatimah and nine-year-old Aliyu.
Women and children in Wamakko IDP campsRabi Issa
She emphasized that hunger is not exclusive to children but also affects adults, citing her battle with an ulcer stemming from the lack of food. She urged the government to intervene, enabling them to achieve self-reliance in securing food for themselves and their children.
While narrating her experience in Niger Republic, she said there is no difference between the difficulties they are facing in Nigeria and Niger other than the fact that Boko Haram was displacing them from one place to another in the latter compared to the former where hunger is killing them. Boko Haram displaced them from Doron Baga in Borno State to Diffa in Niger Republic and from Diffa to Karanga also in Niger before they moved to Gashua and then Gaidam in Yobe State. It is from Gaidam that they moved to Sokoto.
She said, “We were also living in a terrible situation in Gaidam. Boko Haram were killing people consistently. That was when the Nigerian government sent some trucks to evacuate people. That time we didn’t care, as soon as we saw a truck, we would enter so as to save our lives. That was how we saw Sokoto buses and entered, we then found ourselves in Sokoto. Some people were even taken to Kebbi state.”
Hauwa’u Aliyu and her five children, displaced from Isa LGA in Sokoto in 2022, grapple with severe challenges. The family can rarely feed themselves and lacks access to clean water, resulting in chronic diseases among her children due to malnutrition. The older children, aged 8, 6, and 5, are compelled to beg for alms to fend for themselves.
Nine-year-old Haruna Imrana, another victim of bandit-induced displacement, battles not only a skin disease but the added challenge of malnutrition. Tragically, his mother lacks the financial means to seek hospital care, resorting to herbal remedies and topical treatments. Within a camp harboring over 160 children, as disclosed by Haruna’s mother, both boys and girls are compelled to venture into the streets, soliciting alms to combat hunger amidst widespread malnutrition and harsh living conditions.
“Look at his entire body and legs. The thing has affected all his body. I don’t even know what happened to him. We didn’t take him to the hospital but we are using herbal medicine where he drinks and apply the herbs on his body. I need assistance,” Imrana’s mother lamented.
Haruna Imrana, a nine-year-old boy battling with skin disease
Bandits deny Wurno children’s immunisation
In an interview, Bello Muazu, Wurno Local Government Immunisation Officer, revealed a disturbing trend. He stated that there are wards and settlements that health workers cannot access for immunisation or any other medical intervention due to the fear of being kidnapped or killed by bandits. This has left children in these insecurity-prone areas more susceptible to malnutrition due to their inability to access health care.
Muazu noted that the eastern part of Wurno LGA is facing serious insecurity challenges, particularly in Chacho and Kwargaba wards. He added that the most recent attack occurred in the Dimbiso ward. He explained that the number of settlements in the eastern part is higher, and the area also shares boundaries with Isa, Rabah, and part of Goronyo LGAs, leading to increased insecurity in these areas.
Image of Children with Malnutrition in MSF Ward in Sokoto State Specialist Hospital
“Specifically, settlements such as Kafarma, Aisa, Dandutse, and Tsohon Garin Magori under Dimbiso ward are grappling with insecurity. Under Kwargaba ward, locations like Arba, Barayar Zaki Ijjiya, Kawadata, Barayar Zaki Hakimi, Mazun/Sarkin Ruwa, and Dabagin Busau are inaccessible for health workers.
“Similarly, under Chacho/Marnona, settlements Kadagiwa, Masama, Gawo, Doliyal, Laka, Mashekari, Koliyal, Tudun Aligai, Sabon Garin Liman, and Digim settlements are affected. Under Lahodu ward, Farin Modibbo, Farin Dangaladina Rujin Waziri, and Gidan Shinkafa settlements are impacted, and under Dinawa, Gidan Isiya and Rafin Koro settlements are also affected,” he said.
This situation implies that all the children in these wards and settlements are deprived of access to immunisation, food, and also medical intervention, putting them at risk of malnutrition due to the prevailing insecurity.
A Sokoto-based doctor and the Medical Officer at Wurno General Hospital, Anas Chika, stated that there are various vaccines outlined in the national guidelines for children under the age of five. He emphasized that these vaccines are essential because young children are more vulnerable to diseases and have weaker immune systems, adding that the purpose of administering these vaccines is to boost their immunity. He further explained that certain diseases, known as Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, can only be prevented through vaccination and If a child has been vaccinated against a particular disease, their body is already equipped to deal with the virus if they come into contact with it in the future.
“Most of these diseases are deadly and cause significant morbidity. Each country has its own set of vaccines recommended for children. In Nigeria, there is the National Programme on Immunization (NPI) that outlines the vaccines to be given to children at specific periods. Immediately after birth, a child is given three types of vaccines: BCG for tuberculosis, OPV for oral polio vaccine, and Hepatitis B.
“A child is vaccinated against three viruses: tuberculosis, polio, and Hepatitis. Malnutrition, on the other hand, is not a disease that can be prevented by vaccination. It occurs due to abnormal nutrition. If a child does not receive adequate food for his age, he may suffer from malnutrition due to reasons such as poverty, illness preventing food intake, or lack of breastfeeding,” he explained.
While giving a response to the story of a woman unable to breastfeed her baby, he stressed that infants are expected to be exclusively breastfed for the first six months after birth, stating that insufficient breastfeeding can lead to malnutrition. He identified poverty and disease as factors contributing to her inability to breastfeed, which results from the mother’s inability to consume nutritious food necessary for producing breast milk.
He concluded, “The consequence of not immunizing a child against diseases like Polio, Hepatitis, or Tuberculosis can be severe. If the child contracts these diseases and is not immunized, the consequences can be severe. The financial burden of treating these diseases is much higher than the cost of vaccination. Additionally, the time required for treatment is also a concern. Without proper care, a child may suffer long-term morbidity or even death from these illnesses. For instance, Polio can lead to permanent disability, affecting the child’s ability to walk for the rest of their life if they survive it.”
Amid these challenges, a community health worker at Marnona PHC, Hassan Haruna, highlighted ongoing efforts to combat child malnutrition in the area. However, he emphasized a critical gap, which is the absence of adequate health facilities to accommodate children suffering from malnutrition. Haruna elaborated on their existing strategy, which involves the use of the MUAC tape (middle-upper arm circumference) to assess children’s weight.
When the measurement falls within the yellow range, indicating a potential diagnosis of moderate malnutrition, Haruna offers counsel to caregivers.
“I will advise them to maintain a balanced diet for the children. This protocol includes a follow-up appointment scheduled three weeks later, preceding a potential discharge.”
Despite their efforts, the lack of necessary health facilities remains a pressing concern in their fight against malnutrition.
“However, if it shows red, we will refer them to Wurno Town Dispensary or Achida Health Care, or far away Sokoto State Specialist Hospital for proper treatment. We have referred a lot of patients with severe acute malnutrition, and we do receive patients from IDPs camps and neighbouring villages,” he noted.
The Sokoto State Nutrition Officer, Mustapha Abubakar, said the challenges facing the fight against malnutrition is that most of the budgeted funds are not always released.
“This is hindering us from carrying out the plans we have for combating malnutrition in insecurity-prone areas and in IDP camps in Sokoto. While the government often makes promises, the issue is in poor release of funds.
“Our fight against malnutrition includes educating communities on incorporating nutritious foods and integrating services like immunization into our efforts for a combined approach.
“Funding remains a key hurdle, limiting our reach. We’re activating food and nutrition committees at the local government and ward levels to ensure our methods can be sustained even beyond our direct presence,” he said.
While speaking with Hajia Asabe Balarabe, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, she noted that this reporter should reach out to the Executive Secretary of the Primary Healthcare Agency. She clarified that the Executive Secretary is responsible for handling issues related to malnutrition in Sokoto State.
Executive Secretary of Sokoto State Primary Health Care, Larai Aliyu Tambuwal, said she recently assumed office and finds it challenging to provide a response regarding the steps they are taking to combat malnutrition in the state. She noted that all the directors from whom she could gather information have been dropped, and she does not want to provide inaccurate information to the reporter.
“I haven’t fully taken over the office, and I am not familiar with the programs they are implementing. I come from WHO, and I lack complete information. With the absence of the directors I relied on for information, it’s difficult to give you a response. I hold a strategic position, and any information I provide will bind me. Therefore, I refrain from making statements to avoid any repercussions,” she explained.
“I am accountable for all activities within the agency, and I am cautious not to make statements that will come back to me. I am currently gathering this information, as I have not been actively involved in the system. Previously, I worked at the WHO, focusing on surveillance and immunization. I have just arrived at the office, and it is empty. Please give us time to gather the necessary information,” she added.
When the reporter approached the commissioner after Mrs. Larai’s response, she declined to comment, citing the division of departments within the ministry. She insisted that the reporter should communicate directly with Mrs. Larai, adding that they have only been in the system for a few months and do not possess detailed information about the reporter’s inquiries at the moment.
Scary Data
According to Sokoto, Kastina, Zamfara, SMART Survey and Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Malnutrition (AMN) Analysis survey, Sokoto is among the states with the highest number of malnourished children. Specifically, the report showed that 297,832 children were severely malnourished in the state in 2023.
As part of its strategy to address the alarming malnutrition cases in Sokoto, Governor Ahmed Aliyu allocated 15 per cent of the 2024 budget to the health ministry. This dedicated funding is intended to spearhead comprehensive initiatives addressing different challenges, including malnutrition, which is identified as a significant factor contributing to the prevalence of NOMA, a rapidly progressing severe gangrenous disease of the mouth and the face. It mostly affects children aged 2–6 years suffering from malnutrition, affected by infectious diseases, living in extreme poverty with poor oral health or with weakened immune systems in the state. However, a crucial hurdle remains the uncertain release of these appropriated funds.
A staggering 44 per cent of households in Sokoto State live below the poverty line of $1.90 per day, according to a 2021 study on the nutritional status of children under five. This dire situation translates to 11.2 per cent of children suffering from severe hunger and 18.8 per cent facing moderate hunger. The study also revealed a combined impact of poverty and hunger affecting a staggering 73 per cent of Sokoto households, far exceeding the national average of 45.4 per cent.
When compared to global and national averages, Sokoto falls short on measures of weight and height for age, indicating both immediate and long-term nutritional deficiencies, according to a 2022 study conducted in the Department of Pediatrics in Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
Findings showed that 57.2 per cent of respondents had normal weight for age, 40.8 per cent were severely stunted, 82.2 per cent had normal weight for height, and 56.7 per cent had a normal mid-upper arm circumference.
Expert Weighs In
A medical doctor and nutrition specialist with Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF, Muhammad Salih, said the factors contributing to the high rate of malnutrition in children are classified into modifiable and non-modifiable factors. The modifiable factors include kidnapping and banditry, which need to be fought by the government, while others are in between.
“Some caregivers lack the knowledge to prepare balanced meals despite having food, while others struggle with access to treatment,” he explained. “Children with common, treatable illnesses like dialysis often go undiagnosed or neglected due to dysfunctional healthcare facilities. Even reaching these facilities doesn’t guarantee proper treatment.
“And when families reach the hospital, they face crippling costs. Hospital fees and transportation, especially with long distances, are often insurmountable obstacles. Some are even referred from primary healthcare centres to these facilities, only to hit another wall.”
He further highlighted the limitations of his organisation in reaching insecurity-prone areas, stating, “While we aren’t currently present in insecure areas or IDP camps, we’re exploring ways to provide support. For instance, we operate an IDP camp in Makura with an advocacy team educating caregivers on balanced diets for their children.”
Criticising the government’s lack of action, he added, “Promises to end malnutrition ring hollow without concrete steps. It’s the government’s responsibility to complement the efforts of international NGOs in tackling this crisis.”
Chika the doctor earlier mentioned, said the main causes of malnutrition are poverty, ignorance, giving birth to many children without taking care of them, and insecurity. He added that the best way to solve the malnutrition problem is for the government to reduce the poverty rate among the populace, provide job opportunities, and most importantly, secure the land so that those who want to farm should be able to do so, and those who want to do business should be able to do it freely and earn a living.
ABUJA Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has threatened to disconnect electricity in the Presidential Villa, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and other Federal Government ministries, departments and agencies over their refusal to pay over N47 billion outstanding debts as of December 2023.
The AEDC made this known on Monday, February 19, in a public notice sighted by The ICIR.
In the list of the debtor MDAs are the Chief of Defence Staff – Barracks and Military Formations owing N12 billion, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of State Petroleum, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Agriculture.
The debtors also include the Ministry of Education, CBN governor’s office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Transport.
While issuing a notice of disconnection to the affected MDAs through an advertorial, AEDC said, “The management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has given a ten days’ notice to 86 government agencies to pay up the N47.1bn electricity debt they owe or risk disconnection.
“The Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC is constrained to do this publication with the details of government, ministries, departments, and agencies with long outstanding unpaid bills for services rendered to them through the provision of electricity supply in that our previous attempts to make them honour their obligations have not achieved the desired results.”
The firm also urged the MDAs to pay up before the disconnection time slated for Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
“The relevant MDAs are hereby given notice that the AEDC shall, after the expiration of ten days from the date of this publication, that is, after Wednesday, February 28, 2024, embark on the disconnection of our services to them until they discharge their obligations to us by paying their debts.
The ICIRreported how MDA debts were worsening liquidity in Nigeria’s power sector, a major concern that has seen investors turn a blind eye to Nigeria’s privatised power sector.
In most cases, rather than pay up, the MDAs have employed a strategy of disputing the debts and calling for audits and reconciliation of bills over several years.
Consequently, the DISCOs owe other power sector stakeholders and have transferred the cost to ordinary citizens through estimated billing and other unfair practices.
THE National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported an increase in the Nigerian unemployment rate in the third quarter (Q3) of 2023.
The statistics office disclosed this in its ‘Nigeria Labour Force Survey Q3 2023’ released on Monday, February 19.
It said the unemployment rate rose significantly to 5.0 per cent from 4.2 per cent in Q2 2023.
The statistics office changed the methodology for calculating the country’s unemployment rate and slashed the figure to 4.1 per cent in Q1 2023 from 33.3 per cent in Q4 2020.
Analysts had argued that the new NBS methodology did not reflect the accurate picture of the unemployment market in the country.
In its report released on Monday, the NBS stated that about 87.3 per cent of workers were self-employed in Q3 2023, while a minimal proportion of 12.7 per cent of workers were in wage employment in Q3 2023.
It also said that the unemployment rate among persons with post-secondary education was 7.8 per cent in the quarter under review and 8.6 per cent among youth aged between 15 and 24 years.
In the urban areas, NBS puts the unemployment rate at 6.0 per cent in Q3 2023, a slight increase of 0.1 per cent from Q2 2023.
It also reported that time-related underemployment was 12.3 per cent, representing an increase of 0.5 per cent from the rate recorded in Q2 2023.
A further look at the NBS’ Q3 report showed that 4.1 per cent of the working-age population was engaged in subsistence agriculture.
While the informal employment rate was 92.3 per cent in Q3 2023, compared to 92.7 per cent in Q2 2023, the percentage of youth not in employment, education, or training rate was 13.7 per cent in the review quarter.
The labour force participation rate among the working-age population declined to 79.5 per cent in Q3 2023 compared to 80.4 per cent in Q2 2023.
Also, employment-to-population ratio was 75.6 per cent in Q3 2023, with a decrease of 1.5 per cent compared to a ratio of Q2 2023.
“The combined rate of unemployment and time-related underemployment as a share of the labour force population (LU2) increased to 17.3% in Q3 2023 from 15.5 per cent in Q2 2023,” the statistics office added.
The United Nations (UN) has predicted that the global unemployment rate would worsen in 2024.
Most of the demonstrators were young people who claimed they were tired of Nigeria’s situation and that the government must stop the crises.
They carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “Hunger is Killing Us” and “Tinubu Must Address Insecurity.”
The high cost of living, according to the demonstrators, is another issue that has made it difficult for people to fend for themselves.
They said food costs were increasing astronomically, making it challenging for many Nigerians to provide for their families.
The protest took place amid several security issues, including terrorist attacks, banditry, and kidnappings in the country.
However, as of the time of filing this report, the state capital was peaceful.
The ICIR reported that youths in neighbouring Osun State staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo on Friday, February 9, 2024, condemning the rising cost of living in the country and calling for immediate intervention by the government.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions that read ‘change the unfavourable policies,’ ‘Nigerians are suffering, we can’t cope again.’
They occupied the MDS Road in the state capital.
Earlier, in Niger State, residents had protested hardship, hunger and blocked major roads in Minna, the state capital.
Many residents took to the streets and major roads in the state to protest against the rising cost of living.
The protesters blocked major roads, including the Kpakungu roundabout at Minna-Bida road, stopping the activities of many commercial vehicles in the area.
The protesters complained about the fuel price hike and its continuous economic impacts, emphasising the need for the government to intervene.
According to Uba, he attempted to update the outdated Firearms Act during his time in the Senate.
He said it had been over 30 years since Nigeria’s Firearms Act was amended.
“The Firearms Act in Nigeria is not in line with the global best practices. Nigeria is the only country where you can be arrested with illegal firearms and can be taken to court, and you can be released based on some charges and not imprisonment. You can pay a fine of about N50,000 naira and go home.
“That is why I started emphasising (firearms control) when the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) tabled the report when I was in the Senate that about 200 million illegal firearms are in circulation in Nigeria out of the 250 million in circulation in West Africa,” the former Senator stated.
The governor added that state policing would reduce the threat of instability that afflicts much of the North.
Sani said in the past six months, he had emphasised that the creation of state police was the only way to address insecurity in the country.
“I am happy that some few weeks ago, some governors joined me in agitating for state police, and it was a lone voice. Some governors have also done a lot in the last few months by establishing or empowering the vigilance services,” Sani noted.
The governor said normalcy had returned to communities affected by violence in his state, and efforts were underway to rescue those abducted by bandits.
On February 16, The ICIR reported that the Federal Government and state governors agreed on creating state police.
This was part of the outcome of a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and state governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, February 15.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris disclosed this to reporters after the meeting.
He said the process was still in its early stages and would take shape after further discussions.
The ICIR reports that there have been calls for state police in response to the country’s growing security concerns.
Kidnapping and banditry are two security issues Nigeria has struggled with in recent years after over a decade of fighting terrorism.
On Monday, February 13, governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform reiterated their support for state policing to address the nation’s deteriorating security. The governors lamented that Nigeria “is almost on the road to Venezuela.”
While Nigerian governors have been pushing for state police, regional groups in the country have established security outfits to complement the Federal Government-funded police and other security institutions in the country.
The South-East launched Ebube Agu, the South-West created Amotekun, and the North founded “Shege Ka Fasa”.
However, it appears that only Amotekun has fully taken shape among the outfits.
In addition to the regional outfits, some states, including Benue, Zamfara, and Kano, have created vigilantes or constabularies to protect their people further.
The ICIR reported that over 5,000 Nigerians were killed in President Bola Tinubu’s first seven months in office, underscoring worsening insecurity under his watch.
THE Global fund has agreed to a US$993 million grant to Nigeria to help eliminate HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This is great news. It is the first part of new planned grants totalling USD 1 billion over the next two years out of a US$15 billion planned health investments in the long term.
Grant means a gift, not a loan. This is a tremendous opportunity and confirms Nigeria as the Global Fund’s biggest recipient of funding on the African continent. The standard Global Fund deal is that there must also be counterpart funding – so there will be added in-country investments, notably Federal and State health budgets, and special health allocations like the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
Some Global Fund investments in Nigeria have previously been upset by a series of corruption cases, with infractions committed by both the public and private sectors, leading to the Global Fund actually stopping funding in 2016. There were also corruption problems with GAVI funds, and Nigeria had to refund some funds to GAVI in order to keep benefiting.
So, what is now different in the Nigerian context that will assure accountable and transparent use of Global Fund’s disbursements in order to significantly improve population health? How can citizens track the use of the funds and verify the outputs and outcomes? What accountability mechanisms are openly available?
Like ‘sweet crude’ like ‘sweet Global Fund money’?
To irk the average Nigerian, remind him or her of the large crude oil deposits in the country. It is a classic case of poverty amidst plenty. While we wonder how came about the description ‘sweet crude’, we are reminded that it was not just about the easiness in refining the oil, but that those with power made and continue to make quick and easy generational wealth out of the pains of people, communities and their environments. Perhaps, if those without power had chosen the label, it would have been ‘bitter crude’.
So, like ‘sweet crude’, how do we ensure that the Global Fund grant does not become ‘sweet money’ but is instead smart money – an investment, not a spree?
Global Fund money – so what?
Each year Global Fund invests more than US$5 billion globally to ensure healthier populations. But it is not just about the cash – the Global Fund champions the ‘means’ as well as intended ‘ends’. It is a worldwide partnership instigated to fight diseases, challenge the injustice that fuels them, and strengthen health systems resilience, including responses to health emergencies. It proudly unites world leaders, communities, civil society, health workers and the private sector to find solutions that have the most impact and take these to scale. This is laudable, but easier to say than do, especially in contexts that may be at variance with the guiding principles of the Global Fund, and have been historically so, just like ‘sweet crude’.
It will be a disservice to global health if Global Fund’s money is reduced to ‘sweet money’ and further facilitates a ‘tragedy of commons’ experience. So, in the spirit of the Global Fund’s ideal mission of sustained health security for all, and because we are passionate about squeezing every last drop of value for Nigerians out of these grants, we offer some thoughts drawing from our experience in health systems and accountability across the globe.
First, learn from experience – they say it is the best teacher
Everyone sees how unhappy Nigerians have been with the management of COVID-19 funds, especially with very tiring news around corruption and disregard for accountability by authorities. The Financial Times captured it clearly when it published an article with the title – ‘theft doesn’t even stop during a pandemic’.
A recent shocking revelation from Nigeria was the diversion of N3 billion, about US$2 million of COVID-19 funds to verify a social register whose veracity has been in much contention. Here is a country whose health sector is in the world’s bottom 12, spending funds from a pandemic ‘lavishly’ – ‘sweet money’, right?
The Global Fund’s logo. Source: Global Fund’s website.
Again, we should be frank to ask – what happened to Nigeria’s COVID-19 Fund tracker? We recall some articles between 2021 and 2022, about one year after the pandemic struck, complaining about the early disappearance of Nigeria’s COVID-19 fund tracker from the internet. In contrast, the COVID-19 fund tracker of the United States of America is still up and running. Transparency and accountability are endurance events, not sprints!
This pretence of accountability must be noted by the Global Fund. If trackers are set up, evidence of paying for web hosting and domain for more than 10 years should be presented, as well as evidence of data maintenance and a dedicated technical team. Optimism can only come from being open about the very real risks that lurk in this space and showing confidence that we have the measures in place to address them, not blind faith.
In fact, with Nigeria’s poor score on the Corruption Perception Index at 25/100, applying deep sense of caution whenever money flows in the system must be a priced asset.
Second, be bold! And refuse to fold!
A typical Nigerian will ask – ‘but how come these big organisations and developed countries see how corrupt our leaders are, yet they give us a lot of money?’ An explanation that drives this home is the fact that Nigerian legislators, in the heat of a pandemic took delivery of 2020 Toyota Camry model cars. Yet, the country continued to receive several millions of donations. Not one of the donors could be bold enough to call out such irresponsibility. And this passes on the feeling of complicity on the streets. So, funders have a huge responsibility to change this thinking!
The Global Fund’s commitment to ‘Challenging power dynamics’ is a brilliant aim and is the key to unlocking the maximum effectiveness of its investment. But (again) it is easier to say than do. It is hard to achieve without cool-headed analysis and open debate about exactly which ‘power dynamics’ are at play (which real people, interest groups), and what can be done to ensure that they do not disrupt or divert funds or implementation.
Of course, researching and talking about the politics of implementation is tricky, but whether the P is for ‘Power’ or ‘Politics’ we need to have courage and be frank. Moreover, there is high-quality research on ‘political constraints’ (we know as we deliver this under the world-renowned Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) Consortium). The Global Fund and its Nigerian partners should reach out to expert researchers – and can also fund research to fill any gaps in knowledge and practice around accountability and anticorruption, ensuring that its money is not ‘sweet money’.
Third, think quality as well as quantity: numbers don’t always tell the entire story
We can all revisit the comments made by Bill Gates during his 2018 visit. Gates in that meeting with the then Minister of Finance, spoke about how not to expect efficient health service delivery from a health system that is weak. He said, as of then, USD 1 billion he has spent on health in Nigeria has not returned commensurate value.
The Global Fund is certainly a major step forward in the quantity of investment. But quality cannot be assumed. When Nigerians are informed of the numbers, there should be public approval of the value. Over the next two years, Nigerians anticipate USD 1 billion worth of health from Global Health alone. There should be value for money! We expect the books to be open for independent value-for-money assessments.
Fourth, build on the successes that we already have
What are our measures and tools for ensuring quality? Well, we can track the funds. Nigeria has impressive (globally renowned!) independent accountability organisations such as International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), The Budgit Foundation and Connected Development (Follow the Money), and that can track the funds allocated to and disbursed by politicians. The alternative is to be miserly with data and make any interested parties work hard – and cause friction – through mechanisms such as Freedom of Information (FoI).
A bold step towards ‘challenging power dynamics’ is an early, unequivocal commitment to proactive disclosure. This could be through the benefiting organisations signing a compact that will include publicly available expenditure tracking systems and scorecards on the outputs and outcome of the funds. These do not cost too much but will need budget and altruistic champions if we truly want ‘communities to have an equal voice in the fight and an equal chance at a healthy future’.
Also, our national procurement guidelines are excellent but need to be enforced. Global Fund could catalyse a burst of openness and use public interactive technology to supercharge progress in best procurement practices.
Fifth, build trust, and don’t let it die
Accountability is built on trust, and so the Global Fund recipients need to be consistent in how they share data and engage external partners. Nigeria’s online tracker for COVID-19 funds holds a lot of lessons. Do we set up public accountability systems only for them to be of no use and eventually die? We see how countries such as the US and UK still have their public accountability systems for COVID up and running, even as they continue to entertain debates and litigations.
Sixth, the value of the investment is a reflection of the system’s politics
Why not have a proactive discussion (including all the themes above) about how to truly ‘strengthen health systems resilience’. An article mentioned, ‘we need to talk about bad resilience’, pointing to systems basking in illusions of growth when its foundations are in deep rot. Global Fund cannot put money in a political system and shy away from speaking about political-economic elements that could undermine its investments.
We repeat for those at the back
Going forward, health investments in Nigeria should be on the increase despite sub-optimal national and sub-national allocations. Influxes of money from diverse sources including the Global Fund have raised expectations for an improved health sector in terms of improved health outcomes and improved ratings of the country’s health system.
Of course, there are fears of the invested funds not yielding commensurate value, as that has been the track record of Nigeria for a long time. No thanks to COVID, as public accountability during the pandemic consolidated this obnoxious track record. In fact, regaining public confidence and trust in the health sector is among the goals of the current health sector leadership. But we fear that trust may be further plundered with Global Fund’s injection of ‘scarce’ dollars into the health sector.
This article tries to helpfully but strongly raise this alarm, asking for caution, begging for reflection through past experiences, instructing that books must stay open to the public, advising the importance of engaging evidence experts in accountability and anticorruption to elicit checks and ensure optimal use of funds, and demanding that organizations like Global Fund be bold and engage on the power and political constraints to galvanise an efficient system and squeeze every drop of value out of the Global Fund grant.
Global Fund must resist the labelling of its money, ‘sweet money!’, and we have offered thoughts on what can be done.
Authors’ bios
Prince Agwu is an academic on research positions at University of Dundee, Scotland, and University of Nigeria. He holds a PhD in Social Policy, with his research niche covering governance and policy issues in health systems and migration. He is the African Section Editor for Social Work and Social Sciences Review, an Academic Editor for PLoS ONE, and Associate Editor, Health Research Policy and Systems. He has published remarkably in refereed journals and ranks among top-500 scholars in Nigeria by Sci-Val.
Peter J Evans is a freelance consultant. He was a DFID social development and governance adviser for two decades, and led DFID’s commissioning team for governance, conflict, inclusion and humanitarian research before becoming Director of the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre. He is ‘Not that Peter Evans’ (the more famous American political sociologist).
Obinna Onwujekwe is Professor of Health Economics and Policy, with base at the University of Nigeria, where he is currently the Director of Research. He is the Coordinator of the Health Policy Research Group and the Nigerian Center Director of the African Health Observatory Platform (AHOP) on health systems. He is a member of the Nigerian National Health Research Committee and the African Advisory Committee on Health Research and Development.
THE Federal Government has begun the payment of the withheld salaries of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The ASUU chairperson of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Muhammad AlMustapha, a Pure and Applied Chemistry professor, confirmed the development to The ICIR on Monday, February 19.
The ICIRreported how President Bola Tinubu in October 2023, waived the “No Work, No Pay Policy” of the Federal Government and approved the release of four of the eight months’ salaries of ASUU members withheld by the administration of the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
The salaries were withheld after the lecturers embarked on strike between February and October 2024 to compel the government to meet its demands.
Tinubu, in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed that the waiver “will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.”
The ASUU chairman at UDUS in December 2023 lamented that the government had yet to pay them a dime from the withheld salaries.
“Nobody paid us a dime. And the evidence is there; we have done the work stopped during the strike. We have dealt with those sessions. Students have graduated, another set after that one has graduated, and we all forced ourselves without a holiday to ensure we fix those work.”
However, during the conversation with The ICIR on Monday regarding the payment, Almustapha said some members had begun to receive salaries for March and April 2023 while others were waiting for their turn.
He said, “Yes, its confirmed that some of our members have started receiving March and April 2023. Some are still waiting.”
The ICIR reports that ASUU often downed tools over unmet demands by the Federal Government, including a 2009 agreement with the lecturers, which the government failed to implement.
Because of the incessant strikes, many students grow beyond the 30 years required by law for graduates to participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Growing beyond this age disqualifies them from the programme.
The union went on strike five times in five years under the immediate past Federal Government headed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group was on strike in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022.
Every strike declared by ASUU crippled Nigerian public universities as all academic activities were suspended, and students were sent home.
In September 2022, The ICIRreported how the union had gone on strike for over 600 days under Buhari.
OLAYINKA Abioye is the immediate past secretary-general of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and retired Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) staff member. In this interview with EHIME ALEX, Abioye, who says he has travelled to over 170 countries, shares insights on several issues in the Nigerian aviation industry and suggests ways to tackle them.
The ICIR: What’s your appraisal of the Nigerian aviation industry?
Olayinka Abioye: Several government policies have devastated the aviation industry, affecting domestic airline operations and the travelling public. One of the challenges we are having in the aviation sector is the inconsistency in the prices of flights, which arose out of the global problem of foreign exchange. As we know, 99.9 per cent of everything in aviation is global – the rules are standard, and the recommended practices are international.
You can’t cut corners. Airline operators purchase their aircraft and fuel at a very high cost, although they get waivers on spare parts. Still, they must go overseas when taking their planes for a comprehensive check. An air ticket, Abuja-Lagos, could sell for N50,000 in the morning; by afternoon, it has gone to N75,000, and by evening, N100,000. Why can’t we have consistent prices?
We also have dilapidated structures. Some of our infrastructures, which cost millions of dollars to implement, are over-aged and need rehabilitation. But our focus has been so much twisted towards generating revenue rather than providing seamless service that makes air travel comfortable and attractive to passengers.
The ICIR: The government should provide infrastructure, but why is the private sector not finding investing in these facilities lucrative?
Olayinka Abioye: Two things! The government will not see the establishment of the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), as people cannot easily steal money from it. I am aware that airline operators in Nigeria apply to the Federal Government for foreign exchange to take their aircraft outside the country for maintenance. It will shock you that about 50 per cent of what is approved is with the BDCs (Bureau de Change). They engage in round-tripping when the dollars are made available to them. I don’t need to bring evidence; we know what is happening in this industry.
Abioye, former secretary-general of NUATE
There was a convention in Johannesburg where decisions were made for any airline operator to get an aircraft on lease and pay over time. Nigerian operators don’t usually fulfil the terms. They will agree, sign, and initiate payments but suddenly stop paying. How do you expect investors from overseas to come when we cannot even be trusted? We breach agreements, we cut corners, and we deceive people.
Do you know how Sirika deceived Nigerians and the whole black race with the National Carrier? What the Federal Executive Council approved for Sirika has never happened in aviation history for a minister to secure such approval for the development of the aviation sector. Look at the new terminal building in Lagos Airport; it is a shame. It has no space for a bigger-bodied aircraft to park when they land. Why are we building a terminal that cannot accommodate aircraft like the Emirates and Qatar? It is a shame that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the best so far in Nigeria, after many years, we can’t see what the billions of allocations were used for. Until we cleanse our brains from stealing syndromes, we can’t develop.
We have three good MROs, but our appetite for things from overseas is also part of our problems. We have competent technicians and professionals who can handle any aeroplane to service, repair, and maintain. How many of our airlines patronise them?
On the side of the private sector, even though the last administration established a policy on the ease of doing business to woo investors, the Nigerian system has been so twisted in such a way that you can hardly do business without bribing somebody. Jet A1 is not produced in Nigeria; why? We learnt from history that in the 1970s, Nigeria was one of the six most significant oil producers. Where are we now? We are nowhere because our refineries have been shut down deliberately.
The ICIR: What’s your opinion on the recent shake-off in the aviation sector?
Olayinka Abioye: Truthfully, I felt sad because I know many of the people who were unceremoniously disengaged from service. They are very brilliant men and women, competent and highly professional. But greedy Sirika brought them in at the very wrong period of his tenure. How can a minister who meant well for Nigeria employ people a few days before leaving office? That is wickedness! We knew their end would come from the onset because when you leave office and hurriedly employ people, you create problems. The new minister did the right thing by bringing fresh people to occupy the positions.
The ICIR: You have been critical about the lapses in the aviation sector and have recently written two open letters to the minister. What should the minister focus on to ensure the aviation sector is revamped?
Olayinka Abioye: The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development is a general overseer of the ministry. His primary responsibility is supervising the chief executive officers he has appointed and ensuring they work in tandem with rules establishing their various agencies. Then, the secondary responsibility is to meet with investors and stakeholders and engage them in meaningful discussions, reaching and signing agreements. But the main thrust of the entire thing rests with the chief executive officers.
Over the years, we have seen competent and ready-to-work CEOs who were made incompetent and dysfunctional by the unnecessary and avoidable interference of the minister and ministry officials. They interfere too much in the running of these agencies, which should not be. But when you have a governing board, provided by law, they also stand as a check and balance on the CEOs.
When they have issues, they take it to the minister. The minister has a weight to carry over or on the shoulders of the board, and the board has a weight to carry over or on the shoulders of the CEOs. When these three legs work together, you will see the fantastic rehabilitation and rejuvenation of the industry because our problems are very few and doable things. The challenges we face can be tackled within one year.
How can you have an airport that has no runway light for years? How much does it cost to fix a runway light? Without a runway light, an aircraft takes off and taxis from the domestic terminal to the international before it can make its night flight; it is unheard of. We say we are giants of Africa, and we are not but only giants in corruption.
The ICIR: Since March 2023, one of the runways at the Lagos Airport has yet to be used. What do you think is responsible?
Olayinka Abioye: It is a purely institutional failure. If we procure equipment for use and it is stolen, who stole it? We have security agencies with airport cameras. How many people were apprehended? What was the outcome of the investigation? How many people were indicted in the exercise? We have not heard anything. If the lights are stolen, can’t we buy another one? We have companies in Nigeria that can handle runway lighting. The CEO may not have the powers to approve such things, but the minister has.
Unfortunately, the airline operators are also a problem to themselves; they are busy fighting for power. What for? Why can’t they come together for the progress of the airlines? The dishonesty widening among them has created a loophole for the government to cheat and not respect them. We saw that with the former minister. The minister is there because of the airlines; without them, there is no minister. No one can exist without the other.
So, infrastructures are supposed to be up and running 24/7. That is how aviation runs; if there is a disconnect somewhere, you fix it before 24 hours. These are doable things. I know all this because I was a former Nigerian Airspace Management Agency communications department staff member before I retired. I am very concerned about the way things are run. Some people will feel threatened that this man is exposing some things. No! Instead, it is to ensure we correct our wrongs and run a perfect system because we have the capacity and the human resources to run a functional system. We should not be made a laughingstock of the entire African nations.
The ICIR: You have been critical about the 40 per cent internally generated revenue, now 50 per cent, which the agencies in the aviation sector remit to the Federal Government coffers. If Nigerians think the government is corrupt, can the agencies be prudent with the percentage retained?
Olayinka Abioye: If I answer your question directly, I will inadvertently admit that the 40 per cent the government receives from the agencies is justifiable. It is not! Aviation is a service provider; we must run the system effectively, efficiently, and expeditiously. For instance, FAAN ensures that all the 22 airports it manages work efficiently. FAAN’s electricity bill runs into billions amid Nigeria’s chaotic electricity supply. Maintenance of their facilities across the airport is enormous. So, the 60 per cent is even small. We know the government gives waivers to the industry to grow, but it is an aberration for the aviation sector to give out over 40 per cent of its revenue needed to run the industry when we consider the running of the aviation sector, its over-bloated employees and other expenditures.
I am aware that occasionally, there are capital projects; each agency will bring some money, and the government will complement. But sometimes, the ministry writes and says go and do this project. They will not care how the agency gets the money to execute it, and it must be done. These are the challenges. I will advocate that the new administration let these agencies run in the best manner established by law with their money in full. I have had the privilege of going to over 170 countries; I know what I see in some airports. What does it cost to do solar? It is a shame that we cannot generate our independent power with the calibre of engineers we have. If we do, it will reduce expenditure on fuel and diesel.
The ICIR: How can we change the narrative that workers’ unions are reactionary and not proactive?
Olayinka Abioye: The perception of some of the stakeholders in the industry is that they don’t even like any union. We are the voice of the people. The success of any establishment depends largely on the well-being of the workers. If not for the unions, Sirika would have sold everything in the industry. When leaving office, he was hell-bent on destroying NAMA and FAAN buildings, but unions resisted. Now, there is a letter that FAAN should come back to Lagos. Would they have easily found a place if we had allowed the demolition? He wanted to concession; we were not against it but gave him options. Before I retired, I called his attention to one issue: Katsina produces agricultural products and has a large market. I told him, sir, you want to concession our airport, let us use Katsina International Airport as a test pilot and see how it works within 18 months. If we make a success story of it, we will then concession Lagos Airport.
I won’t say that some union members do not compromise, but when the government violates terms of employment, why won’t the union react? Unions worldwide react to negative things – attacks on their personnel and membership. No responsible union will see the wrong things and not react.
The ICIR: What do you mean when you say the aviation industry is highly regulated?
Olayinka Abioye: We operate according to the details of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and Nigerian aviation operations cannot be different from other aviation systems. International standards and recommended practices exist, and we operate under these rules. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, which oversees the entire Nigerian aviation system, also has its guidelines. FAAN, which manages all Federal Government airports, is regulated by the NCAA. Airlines also have rules and fly between specific times and carry passengers. When they delay or fail to do so, there is a fine. Recently, the NCAA came up with a rule that if you want to float an airline, you must provide six aircraft, although that policy is being modified because of public outcry. So, every regulation in the Nigerian aviation industry must be within what is recommended internationally. That is why the international body also visits each country annually to do an audit.
The ICIR: Has there been sanctions from the international body?
Olayinka Abioye: We have not been up and doing; that is the problem. The international aviation body does not sanction but takes time to recommend. They will tell us these are areas that require improvement; you have between so and so time to fix them. However, we make laws that need to be followed. All our airports are supposed to be audited to ensure that they follow the norms. Many things have been observed in the last audit, but when ICAO writes that they are coming in March, you will see speed in February. Why can we start from the day of the last audit result and begin to provide those corrective measures? But we will not do that.
Nigeria should be a leading light in Africa. If we can’t beat Egypt or Ethiopia, the best in Africa, we should be a leading light to other countries because we have far better human capacity than the Europeans. Our people go abroad and excel. Why can’t they excel here? It is just the political will and lawlessness.
On the relocation of FAAN, I can recall that in 1980, when I was employed, I signed a form that I was ready to serve in any airport in Nigeria. Some people will be posted out of Lagos; they don’t want to go; some people were brought from the North to the South and didn’t want to come. Some employed people came to Lagos, did their documentation and ran away. Is the South not part of Nigeria? Do they not sign the bond that they were willing to work in any part of Nigeria? So we have to be holistic about this thing. I recently sent five issues to the minister to address, and if he does those things, I can assure you that our system will change.
Sirika bought the Zaria Hotel for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology. Have the papers been fine-tuned? Who is running or managing it, and what is the management structure? We don’t know! They sold two helicopters belonging to the college, where is the money or the helicopters? We don’t know! Why do we need a University of Aviation and Aerospace when NCAT was established by the United Nations in 1964? Is it dying with no amenities and patronage?
Aviation is a very sensitive industry. One aeroplane crash can affect the Nigerian nation and the global community because individuals from other countries can be in the same plane. The effect touches everybody as compensation, insurance, and others would be paid. A small mistake by any person can cause an air crash, which is why we need to put our house in order and do it as well as in other countries.
The ICIR: We have a new President, and virtually every issue rests on his shoulders. If you could advise the President, what would it be?
Olayinka Abioye: A lot of people don’t know Tinubu. You will be shocked at what he will do. Tinubu called a retreat, and after it, he said to all his ministers, you are accountable to people, and if you make a mistake, I will fire you. Come and sign this quality performance bond. So, when one or more petitions are written against any minister, the person is going. Also, the ministers are afraid because of social media, as their actions can be made open. So, they are also on their toes and have called on their chief executive officers to sign the bond. However, such sack or firing should not be at the whip and caprices of the minister. It must follow due diligence.
